5 Reasons To Start Business While Still in Nigeria Schools

Do I have to remind you that starting a business is becoming the last resort for fresh and old graduates? I once gave you reasons you might want to consider owning a business instead of searching for jobs after school. There, you will see a clear picture of where you belong without the stress. 

Are you a business owner by nature or you're meant to earn salaries all your life?

And in a post I wrote to guide NYSC returnees on what is next after clarion’s call, I gave my clear position on whether you should start a business, further your studies, or look for jobs.

Image credit @Opus College of Business

Having said that, a few students want to know if it’s ideal for them to start businesses while still in school. My piece on the list of courses that are meant to prepare you for the business world after school will tell you what my answer here will be like. 

In fact, I recommended those courses as a response to my frown at some courses middle-class and poor-background students should avoid.

If I must take you by hand and show you how to start, run, and manage a business to success, as a student, I will dedicate a separate post to that. You can subscribe to this blog to get it straight to your email when I drop it sooner. 

Right now, I will show you why starting a business on campus is the right way to go.

1. You’re Preparing Yourself for the Worst

It’s so easy to say, “I'm learning to be a doctor”, “I’ll be an engineer in a few years”, “I should be an accountant by 2023”. Isn’t it?

But in reality, that is not easy.

I learned late that most of these positions were just wishes. Even though we’re working towards achieving career ends, there are other factors making our ways up so clumsy.

What do you think when the news says, "the number of unemployed graduates is rising"? Perhaps you give yourself a pat on the back and say “that’s not going to happen to me”.

If I must be frank with you, that’s not a prayer. Face the reality and don’t pretend to be blind to the people who have been out of school for years, but till today, are wandering around or searching for jobs that never come.

You’re not different.

In order to prepare yourself for the worst scenario, embark on the journey to the right alternative while you’re still serious with your GNS 101, ENG 202, or ACC 303.

Starting a business while in school doesn’t mean you’ll remain in that business after school. If you eventually get a job and you prefer that, it shouldn’t tie you down. It’s up to you.

Recommended: After Completing HND, What Next?

2. Starting the Journey Right Earlier

Point number one above will touch the hearts of adamant students who seriously believe jobs are their ways to go. However, we have students who are quite aware they’re business makers. This set of students only cares to go to school for certification purposes and if need be, able to tender their evidence of academic successes. They want to be their own bosses after all.

Image credit @Narcity

Lucky you, if you’re in this category. Really, the best gift anybody can be blessed with is knowing the right thing to do at every stage of his or her life. 

Being a confused man will delay your success for a long time. This post, "11 Courses to Study in University/College to Be Able to Start a Business" may be the right read for you if you're just seeking admission.

I was in the category of people who wanted to work after school. Then, I paid for that dearly when no befitting job could come. And for the ones I got, I was later laid off.

I had a classmate while in my final year in polytechnic. Bode left the class one day on the arrival of a lecturer. I wondered why he would do that.

A day later, I met him and spoke to him frankly. I wanted him to realize it could be a big mistake leaving class when a lecturer was about to take us.

Recommmeded: Starting a Business? Pause, Learn, Succeed – Practical Way

He was quick to tell me how sorry he was. He told me he couldn’t just avoid going out.

“My truck had just arrived and we had to dispatch some goods to our branches”, Bode calmly said.

I was surprised. Then, I asked, “You run a transport business?”

“No brother, don’t you know I have four boutiques around?” He asked.

I said, “No”

“Oh, I don’t know you’re not aware. I went to dispatch some goods to them”, He said as he patted me on the neck.

I left Bode smiling. But within me, I knew I was missing something. I saw him as a friend or a classmate, but he’s already a boss.

See, the same is happening around you. Most of your classmates are in one business or the other. You may never know unless it’s something they run on campus or it's a product or service you also patronize.

This set of people is preparing themselves for the future they’re dreaming of.

Unfortunately, I don’t have Bode’s contact since my service year. If not, I could have updated you on where he is by now. I’m sure he should be flying today. Do you know why? He’s started right earlier.

Recommended: 4 Unique Profitable Businesses (Ideas) To Start After NYSC (With Little or No Capital)

3. School is the Right Platform to Experiment Business Ideas

Before becoming an education consultant, I had tried a few other business ideas. I once run a mini electronics business, home tutoring service to mention a few. But none worked well until I got here.

How I wished I’d experimented with these ideas while in school. If I had done that, I could just be starting my education consulting right after the service year. Then boom, I should be flying by now too.

But I learned the hard way. I never started until I was really ready to be serious with life.

School days are the right time to bring your ideas out and see if they’re marketable. From here, you can drop any service or product with an unsatisfied market. Then, you move to another.

Don’t forget Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook from school as a platform for a few mates to communicate, then, to connect people at colleges and a few schools.

Recommended: 4 Immediate Opportunities for Female Graduates After NYSC

4. Saving and Investing Your left-Over

Starting a business on campus or while at university or college can be the right way to invest your leftover (pocket money). You can save your way to hundreds of bucks that can be put into a small business.

Even though my parents were poor, I still had some bucks left over after paying for my academic, social, and personal needs.

Ask me how I spent my left-over.

Frankly, I don’t remember.

Maybe some went to the cinema, some careless spending or so.

See, I got the message very late. Bode was an inspiration to me.

Another mate, nicknamed “Photo the Sleeper” afforded to build a three-bedroom flat before our final year. He made his money from an amateur photography business.

Do you know how he got that funny nickname?

He slept very often in class. He wasn’t bad with that anyway. But he spent the night up while in the photo lab. He had to print the photos he took for a few friends the previous days.

This short guy would just approach you and ask if you would love to take some shots with your new dresses, friends, class blocks, or on motion ground. You should know people like this if you're already on campus.

While going for NYSC, Abiodun turned down a national call for his business on campus.

I remember what he told me last, “why will I go to service where I will be paid stipends when I can make thousands on a daily basis with my business here?

You see, that is the power of seeing the future from now. If all you can see is one thing, ever asked yourself, “why was I given two eyes?”.

Recommended: Where to Do Industrial Training (IT)/SIWES in Nigeria

5. Start a Business on Campus and You have the Working Team 

The easiest business someone can go for while in school is that which he can single-handedly manage. However, if your ideas will require five men to start, you're already blessed with a few friends.

In most cases, starting a project after graduation may limit your ideas, expansion, and wider outlook. There're better thinkers among your friends while in school, you can seek their opinions and contributions.

And you know what?

You may get all that for free.

Conclusion

Those who are embarking on a journey should ask their way from the returnees. I love to share my successes and my failures. For my successes you can emulate, my failure you can avoid.

As a student, taking the time to draw up a plan and start a business and starting it right away while still in the classroom will help you achieve independence after graduation. 

Your project today may be the next Facebook, Microsoft, or Tesla.

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